AIMS

    Characteristic

    Description

     

    Name of the cohort 
     

    Amsterdam Infant Microbiome Study (AIMS) - subcohort of the Sarphati Cohort

     

    Description / aim of the cohort 

    AIMS is a subcohort of the Sarphati cohort.

    It is a prospective birth cohort in Amsterdam that follows children from birth to three years of age to study how their gut and oral microbiomes develop. It collects biological samples from infants, mothers, and family members, along with detailed information on diet, health, and lifestyle, to understand how early microbial communities influence oral health, growth and later risk of conditions such as obesity and metabolic disorders.

    Description of the cohort population (age, specific characteristics, e.g. adults with cardiovascular disease, low SEP) 

    AIMS consists of pregnant women living in Amsterdam who are enrolled up to about 32 weeks of pregnancy and their children, who are followed from birth until age three years. The study enrolled 500 families (mother-child pairs and other family members such as partners and siblings) from an ethnically diverse urban population in Amsterdam.

     

    Location of the cohort

    Amsterdam, the Netherlands

     

    Institution

    GGD Amsterdam

    (biosample data is owned by the MetaHealth project, led by ACTA).

    Cohort size (n)

    Total enrolled: 500 families

     

    Start year of the cohort

    2019

     

    Follow-up (years and n)

    Follow-up lasts until March 2028, when all included children have been followed up until 3 years of age. Approximately 400 families are still included in the cohort.

     

    Types of variables (e.g., health behaviours, psychosocial factors, clinical health outcomes, demographic characteristics)

    Measurement methods (e.g., questionnaires, clinical assessments, biosamples)

    AIMS is a subcohort of the Sarphati cohort. Data from the Sarphati Cohort will be available for all AIMS participants and linked to additional data collected specifically for AIMS. AIMS variables are being collected on 11 time points between pregnancy and 3 years of age.

     

    Biological samples

    Stool, tongue samples and dental plaque from the child

    Stool, tongue samples, dental plaque, breast milk and vaginal smear from the mother

    Optional stool, tongue and dental plaque from partner and siblings

    Collected repeatedly from late pregnancy through early childhood

     

    Questionnaire data

    Lifestyle and health during pregnancy (mother)

    Pregnancy and birth characteristics (mode of delivery, complications)

    Nutrition and feeding practices

    Health and medical history (child and mother)

    Medication use and antibiotic use (child and mother)

    Household composition, living conditions and day care attendance

    Sociodemographic characteristics

     

    Oral health variables (questionnaire/self-reported)

    Oral health status of mother, child, partner and siblings

    Tooth eruption and number of teeth

    Tooth brushing practices and toothpaste use

    Use of dummy/pacifier and thumb or finger sucking

    Dental visits, cavities and gum problems

    Oral hygiene habits (fluoride use, mouth rinse, tongue scraper)

     

    Oral health variables (clinically assessed)

    Mothers:

    Dental caries (ICDAS/DMFT/DMFS)

    Periodontitis (clinical attachment loss, pocket depth, bleeding on problem)

    Dental plaque (Quigley & Hein)

     

    Children:

    Dental caries (ICDAS/DMFT/DMFS) at 24 and 36 months

    Dental plaque (Quigley & Hein) at 24 and 36 months

     

    Oral health variables (biological, e.g., microbiome data, saliva)

    Tongue and dental plaque samples at 6, 14, 24 and 36 months

    Reference to design paper

    Not yet published.

     

    Website

    https://aimsonderzoek.nl/en/about-aims/

     

    Procedure for requesting data

    For information about requesting data, please contact: info@sarphati.amsterdam 

     

    Sequenced data from the AIMS biosamples are owned by the NWO MetaHealth project (https://nwo-metahealth.nl). For inquiries about the use of this data, please contact metahealth@acta.nl or sjaak.lammerts@vu.nl (project manager).

     

    Associated costs for data requests (yes/no)

    Depending on the request.

    Contact person

    GGD Amsterdam: Luuk Haring: lharing@ggd.amsterdam.nl)